The Miami Heat had one thing in mind when putting together this roster this offseason – defense. They added some great pieces, most of whom are elite defenders.
Adding Kyle Lowry and PJ Tucker to the squad makes them one of the best defenses in the league. They haven’t even played a game together and they are already being regarded as a top defense.
Miami finished as a top-six defense last year, and it seems as though they could do even better than that this year. That being said, there are some other great defensive teams in the NBA.
Which teams will challenge the Miami Heat for the title of “the best defense in the league”? What teams could end up being a better defense than Miami?
Teams that could have a better defense than the Miami Heat: Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz have the reigning Defensive Player of the Year on their roster. That’s no coincidence, as they are one of the best defensive teams in the league.
Utah had a top-five defense in the NBA last season, and they are primed to have one again this year. With the pieces they have, they should be just as dominant on that end of the floor.
Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles, Mike Conley, and Royce O’Neale are all great defenders. Add Rudy Gobert into that mix, and it’s tough to argue against them being elite on defense.
They could easily finish the season as the best defense in the league this season, and no one would bat an eye. They’ve been one of the best defensive teams for the better part of the last decade.
Miami has all the tools to be a great defensive team, but so do the Jazz. It’s a toss-up as to who finishes as the better defense this year.
Teams that could have a better defense than the Miami Heat: Los Angeles Lakers
Despite the fact that LeBron James is an elite offensive player, the Lakers have built their foundation on defense for the past two years. It’s what won them the 2020 NBA Championship.
Having Anthony Davis in the paint is an advantage enough, but now LA has Russell Westbrook out on the perimeter, too. They could be a nasty defensive team this season.
The one downside to this argument is that they lost some solid defensive pieces this summer. Losing Alex Caruso and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope definitely hurts.
However, they replaced them with some solid defenders, too. Trevor Ariza, Kent Bazemore, and Dwight Howard can all get it done on that end of the floor.
The Lakers’ shooting next year is projected to be absolutely horrible. They traded away two of their better shooters in exchange for someone who can’t shoot.
With that in mind, their wins will have to come from somewhere. LA will have to rely on their defense in order to win some games.
James, Davis, and Westbrook will bring it on offense, but don’t sleep on their defense. They can turn it on when they need
The Miami Heat have a great, all-around defensive roster. However, the Lakers are always solid on that end, so don’t be surprised if they are once again this year.
Teams that could have a better defense than the Miami Heat: Milwaukee Bucks
This was the clear choice for this article. The Milwaukee Bucks are coming off of an NBA Championship run, and their defense is absolutely stacked.
They have Giannis Antetokounmpo at the helm, a former Defensive Player of the Year, as well as both Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday. All three of those players are elite-level defenders.
Rounding out their starting lineup they have Donte Divincenzo and Brook Lopez. Both of those guys are elite defenders as well.
Then, finally, their bench is composed of some fairly good defenders as well. They signed Semi Ojeleye this summer, and Grayson Allen is also a tough guy on that end of the floor.
Their defense is what won them a championship last year, and don’t expect them to stray away from that identity this season. If they want to make another title run, they’ll have to focus most of their energy on defense.
As long as Antetokounmpo is on the team, they have a chance to be one of the top defensive teams in the league. He’s just that elite on defense that it lifts the rest of the team-up.
The Miami Heat should be in contention for that title, though. With Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry, they have one of the best defensive big threes in the league.
The only big three that is better on that end is probably Milwaukee’s. It’ll be close, but the Bucks might end up being better on defense than the Heat.